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Jim Rohr, a research scientist with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC Pacific) in San Diego, California, is on the front lines of the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) effort to connect middle school students and teachers with civilian defense researchers and engineers and scientists. Such proactive and positive support at the local level is, almost literally, just the tip of the iceberg for this new program.

Indeed, starting in fiscal year 2007, Congress significantly boosted support for U.S. students studying to be research scientists and engineers with the ultimate hope that some of these students will pursue careers within the Department of Defense (DoD). Just as with any other "sector" of the US labor market, where a large number of employees are expected to retire during the coming decade (projections indicate attrition levels greater than 13,000 within DoD), the need for critical skill replenishment is essential for the long-term health of the DoD.

The "push" to get defense scientists and engineers into the classroom comes from Robert McGahern, NDEP’s director for K-12 programs and the former deputy director of the U.S. Navy's acclaimed N-STAR workforce revitalization effort run out of the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia. "Having our scientists and engineers work with the teachers in classrooms and mentor students is extremely valuable and provides tremendous benefit to the learning experience," says McGahern.

As of early 2010, NDEP-supported K-12 STEM programs are active at 23 DoD laboratories in 17 states and still spreading to more locations.  These partnerships between DoD laboratories and local school systems are the mechanisms by which scientists and engineers interact with teachers and students, serve as role models and subject matter experts in the classroom, and demonstrate how science and math are used to solve real-world problems.

At the local level, the personal involvement of lab scientists and engineers is the key to reaching the students. "Our culture does not celebrate education," says Rohr. "Scientists and engineers as professionals have to come to grips with their duty. Who else is going to change the culture? It is not going to be movie stars and baseball players. It is going to be the rank and file scientists and engineers who take the time to interact with the kids."

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